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80 Writers Light Up Holiday Author Fair

Despite the unseasonably pleasant weather, Dec. 1 saw the Eugene and Marilyn Glick History Center decked out in Christmas finery for the 10th annual Holiday Author Fair. More than 80 authors from around the state came to meet stalwart fans and first-timers to the literary event.

“It’s a great opportunity to get out and meet fans,” says author Mike Mullin, showing off his new book Ashen Winter, “and hopefully get some new ones.”

The books on display at this year’s fair ranged from Food for Thought: An Indiana Harvest by David Hoppe and Kristen Hess, an exploration of Indiana’s food from the farm to your plate, to Sherri Wood Emmons’ The Sometimes Daughter, about a girl struggling for a sense of family in 1970s Indianapolis.

“I have been blown away,” says Emmons. “I had no idea Indiana had this kind of literary scene.”

Throughout the event, the Indiana Historical Society had a number of presentations, including a talk with Oatess Archey, the first black sheriff in Indiana history. The title of Archey’s new biography, Going Over All the Hurdles, was the theme for this year’s student writers’ contest. At the conclusion of the ceremony, those young winners read their essays about Hoosiers who have overcome adversity.

“We have a long and cherished love of books at the Historical Society,” says Becky Bolinger, the fair’s organizer. “The author fair brings in all of these Indiana people who love Indiana history, love books, and puts them all together.”

Between the authors and their enthusiastic fans, the main hall was packed throughout the day as writers chatted and signed books for readers. With a decade now under its belt, the Holiday Author Fair solidifies itself as one of the biggest literary events in the city.